This is a fancy variation on crêpes that incorporates cream and vanilla. It is based on a recipe by Thomas Keller as written in his book, Bouchon.
Servings
20 crêpes
220 g (1 cup / 8 oz) all-purpose flour
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp sugar
4 eggs
172 ml (¾ cup / 6 fl oz) milk
172 ml (¾ cup / 6 fl oz) heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla (you can use essence or bean or paste, or substitute other flavors like orange zest)
3 tbsp melted butter
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar.
Whisk eggs in the other bowl. Mix in milk, cream, and vanilla. Whisk well.
Pour half of the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl, and whisk very well. This is where some gluten develops, so experiment with more or less whisking to your taste.
Pour the rest of the wet mixture in, and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. This is when the flavor and the rest of the gluten develops.
1 hour
Let batter come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
30 minutes
Heat the pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and mix into batter.
When the pan is hot but not smoking, pour ⅓ cup batter in the middle, then tilt and rotate the pan to spread evenly. If you mess up, no worries, just cook it through and eat it.
When the crepe starts separating from the pan, you can flip it. If you like it crispier, let it cook more but don't burn it. You can flip with any utensil a few inches wide and thin enough to slide under the crepe. The hotter the pan, the faster it will cook. It's possible to cook a crepe in 20 seconds or so with high heat, but there's nothing wrong with cooking it slow on low heat.
20 seconds
Serve crepes warm.
To store, wrap airtight so they don't lose moisture, and refrigerate. Reheat on the stovetop.